A Little Bit About a Lot of Things

I am a bit embarrassed that I am just getting to part 3 of this post and it is 6 months later…but better late than never right? So brunch at Dos Caminos. They have multiple locations, but we headed to the Meatpacking district (675 Hudson at 14th). The upstairs is quiet and there aren’t many other tables being sat…never the less, the service is scatterbrained and the waiters seem more interested in finding out what the other waiters did the night before than attend to our table.

We start out with the guacamole, made fresh to order, ($14) that comes with a trio of salsas and corn chips. Brunch comes with your choice of one complimentary drink: mimosa, bloody Mary, traditional margarita, frozen prickly pear or frozen traditional margarita, screwdriver or champagne.

We order the chilaquiles ($13) which is a baked tortilla casserole, chihuahua cheese, tomatillo salsa and a sunny side up egg. I would describe it as a Mexican breakfast lasagna. Really flavorful and delicious.

We also order the breakfast quesadilla, which is pretty straight forward ($14) – eggs, bacon, chihuahua cheese in a home made tortilla. Really tasty. The food was really tasty, there were a lot of other items on the menu that we were dying to try so we will stop by the next time that we are in NY.

Later we stop over at 16 Handles, a frozen yogurt shop, for a snack/dessert. As you may have guessed, they have 16 flavors of froyo on tap at any given time, and you choose your flavors, you can put as many different kinds you want in your cup.

Head over to the toppings bar and add on your favorites, I was partial to cheesecake bites and strawberries, yum! Don’t get too carried away though, you pay by the ounce 🙂

And for our last dinner in New York we went to Tao. It’s a destination more than a restaurant, a place to see and be seen. Many out of towners there were hoping they would see a celebrity. Make your reservations early as this place books up quickly – we made ours a month in advance to secure the time we wanted. The restaurant is dimly lit and even at dinner, it feels like a nightclub. Make sure to dress to impress – you never know who you will see. We start with the chicken gyoza with napa cabbage and soy dipping sauce ($12).

We pick out a few different kinds of sashimi: Crispy spicy tuna with avocado and soy paper ($17), the crunchy spicy yellowtail with crushed onion ($16)

I had the crispy orange chicken ($27) that seemed a little on the small side for that price. The food was good, it was fresh and tasty and light, but at what point is Chinese food just too expensive? The service was top notch, as it should be for a restaurant of this price range. Our waiter was attentive and knowledgeable.

We ended the evening with a six pack of Tao chocolate buddhas ($14) two each of milk, white and dark buddhas. A nice night over all.

On our way out of town the following morning, we stopped off at Momofuku  for some snacks to bring home. We pick up a compost and a corn cookie ($1.85 each) that are our favorite.

And of course some cereal milk ($5). Do you love drinking the milk from the bottom of the cereal bowl after you’ve just slurped down your frosted flakes? I certainly do! You steep this toasted cornflake mix with milk and add some brown sugar and bam, cereal milk – it’s hard to describe, you just have to try it for yourself. Every time I go to grab Milk Bar eats, I wish I had a chance to try the crack pie, but I am pretty sure that’s just incentive to go back to NYC.

And as we catch the train back to Boston, we stop at Le Pain Quotidien. They always have such a wonderful selection in their pastry case, you really can’t go wrong with anything that you choose. We also picked up this great spread that I am still dying to try-speculoos.  In its original form, it is a shortcrust biscuit spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger and this was made into a paste…add on toast or waffles, use it to make cookies and brownies, the possibilities are endless!

All in all, a really great trip to NYC, can’t wait to get back there again soon!

Tags: meatpacking district, new york